金钱买不到救恩
路加福音十六章19至24节
19有一个财主，穿着紫色袍和细麻布衣服，天天奢华宴乐。
20又有一个讨饭的，名叫拉撒路，浑身生疮，被人放在财主门口，
21要得财主桌子上掉下来的零碎充饥，并且狗来舔他的疮。
22后来那讨饭的死了，被天使带去放在亚伯拉罕的怀里。财主也死了，并且埋葬了。
23他在阴间受痛苦，举目远远地望见亚伯拉罕，又望见拉撒路在他怀里，
24就喊着说：‘我祖亚伯拉罕哪，可怜我吧！打发拉撒路来，用指头尖蘸点水，凉凉我的舌头，因为我在这火焰里，极其痛苦。’
信息分享
拉撒路的人生却是天壤之别。他是一个跛足的乞丐，且在病痛中，非常需要帮助，每天吃别人丢弃的饭菜充饥。然而，他却拥有一样东西，是财主所没有的，那就是他对神的信心，相信神怜悯他。
从人的角度来看，我们可能感到费解。神为何不解救拉撒路？让他的身体得着医治，让他可以不必如此凄惨地度过一生？我们不知道当时的具体情况，但我们却知道拉撒路爱神，深深仰赖神的慈爱和怜悯。
拉撒路的内心曾经有怨忿和埋怨吗？我们不知道，但我们却知道神认识拉撒路，故事的结果将证明这点。
两人除了生前的生活非常悬殊之外，原来死后的结局也有天壤之别。似乎拉撒路先死，经文没有记述他的丧礼，但他应该有几个朋友来安葬他。然而，别人怎样处理他的遗体并不重要，因为他已走完他在世上的路；如今，他已活在一个充满光明和喜乐的地方。
财主也死了。他当然被风光厚葬，许多亲友都前来哀悼。然而，他们如果知道财主将要往哪里去，恐怕更要悲伤、难过了。
人怎样在世上活一生，便决定了他的永恒终局。拉撒路坚定信靠神，神便看重他的信心，他死后便得以永远与神同在。但财主在世的时候却无暇理会神，于是在他死后，神便按照他的选择，永远与他分开。
YOU CANNOT BUY SALVATION
Luke 16:19-24
19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.
20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,
21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’
Message
Lazarus was the opposite in every thing. He was a beggar, apparently lame, weak in body, desperately in need, almost living on garbage. But Lazarus had something the rich man didn't have. He had faith in the mercy of God.
But surely something was wrong. Couldn't God have provided better for Lazarus? Yes, he could but then we don't know all the circumstances. We only know he must have loved God and counted on his mercy.
Was there no bitterness, no rebellion in his heart? We don't know, but we do know the Lord knew his name and the rest of the story proves this.
Now comes the contrast in their deaths. It seems the beggar died first. There is no record of his funeral, even though he must have had a few friends. What happened to his body doesn't matter. He had finished with it and was living in a new sphere of light and joy.
The rich man died and no doubt had a lavish funeral with plenty of mourners. They would really have mourned if they had known where the rich man had gone.
The eternal destiny of every human soul is determined here on earth. Lazarus believed in God here. God honoured his faith. The rich man had no time for God. Then God could only allow him to go on into eternity along that same path - isolated from God.